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Friday, May 2

Trump signs order to ax federal funding for NPR and PBS
President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday night that’s designed to cut funding to NPR and PBS. Why it matters: The order that calls the two biggest public broadcasters in the U.S. “biased” and directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to “cease direct funding” for them comes amid a broader push to target traditional media companies that Republicans see as biased against them. Continue reading at OutletName. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

‘Standing up and fighting back’: Hundreds march to ICE facility as part of May Day rally
Hundreds of people gathered in Tacoma for a May Day Rally on Thursday. The rally, which focused on worker and immigrant rights, started at Tollefson Plaza in Downtown Tacoma. There were several speakers before the group made its way down the streets of Downtown Tacoma, ending at the Northwest ICE Processing Center to continue rallying and having speakers talk to the group. Continue reading at King 5. (KING 5)

Fred Hutch lays off staff in IT, HIV research
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center laid off an undisclosed number of employees Wednesday. Many of the cuts were part of a reorganization of the nonprofit’s IT department, and not due to a loss of federal funding, according to spokesperson Christina VerHeul. But she said some positions were eliminated as a result of reduced federal funding for HIV-related grants. The layoffs will not affect patient care, according to VerHeul. Continue reading at KUOW. (Megan Farmer)

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Aberdeen Daily World
Gov. Ferguson implores FEMA to fund North Shore levee

Auburn Reporter
Safeway distribution center in Auburn fined for violating new law

Axios
U.S. press freedom falls to historical low
Trump signs order to ax federal funding for NPR and PBS

Capital Press
Irrigation districts look to EPA for crystal clear WOTUS rule
Darigold reduces milk checks to pay for construction cost overruns
Critics fear unemployment pay during strikes will skew negotiations

Everett Herald
Everett school board selects former prosecutor to fill vacancy
Everett educator provides tuition-free classes in filmmaking to local youth
Tulalip Tribes signs agreement with Washington State Department of Commerce

News Tribune
Should WA expand ‘cost-effective’ program to mitigate youth homelessness?
‘Mass extinction … for small businesses.’ West Coast tariff warnings intensify
Ready for some good WA budget news? Local school leaders happy with spending plan
Opinion: Sheriff Swank says it’s safe for anyone to call 911. How he undercut his message

New York Times
Companies Are Serving Notice: We’re Raising Prices Because of Tariffs
Trump Administration Cancels $1 Billion in Grants for Student Mental Health

Peninsula Daily News
Seniors concerned with SSA changes

Puget Sound Business Journal
Fred Hutch cuts jobs amid funding uncertainty
NIH grant cuts threaten future of medical education
New business applications surged in Washington last year. Here’s why.

Seattle Times
Email mistake reveals secret plans to end research on Head Start and other child safety net programs

Spokesman Review
Mayor Lisa Brown unveils replacement to anti-homeless camping law struck down by state Supreme Court
Spokane County judges reaffirm their Constitutional oath, condemn politicization and bending of rule of law
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month celebration will focus on promoting wellness rooted in Asian practices
Withering on the vine? Hardly. Canada’s wine industry thrives as restrictions on U.S. alcohol market take effect

Washington Post
As Trump attacks higher education, some students avoid U.S. colleges
Trump budget would cut nondefense programs, increase defense spending
AmeriCorps volunteers comfort lonely seniors. DOGE just cut their programs.

WA State Standard
Fast-building states get more babies
New Washington law adds certification requirement for dementia care
WA ports await sharp drop in cargo as Trump’s tariff battle with China drags on

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Trump administration reportedly considers cut to Naloxone access
Seattle businesses woo Canadians with discounts amid political tensions
‘Standing up and fighting back’: Hundreds march to ICE facility as part of May Day rally
Residents losing homes for new Renton school complain about how district is handling process
Ports of Seattle, Tacoma warn of empty retail shelves, fewer labor hours for truckers, longshoremen

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Trump signs executive order directing federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR
Microsoft scales back on AI after more than two years of aggressive spending
Edmonds schools to cut 12 full-time employees in response to $8.5M shortfall
What the State Superintendent says on federal investigation into WA’s non-discrimination school laws

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Pierce County sheriff opposes council’s immigration enforcement resolution
Tariff woes hit Pike Place Market vendors as import costs surge for specialty goods

KXLY (ABC)
East Valley School District cancels summer school in favor of school-year program
“He’s a human being”: Spokane man arrested in his front yard by Border Patrol agents
‘Falling through the cracks’: Becca program for at risk teens bracing for severe budget cuts
Mayor Lisa Brown unveils comprehensive homeless plan to tackle housing issues across Spokane

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Two PeaceHealth unions announce 5-day strike
Public asked to comment on impact of Whatcom County growth over next 20 years

Cascade PBS
Child’s death follows closure of Spokane youth psychiatric center

MyNorthwest
Fred Hutch lays off staff in IT, HIV research
Sen. Murray warns of supply chain strain as WA imports set to drop 40%
Bellingham roofing company knew in advance about ICE raid that arrested dozens
Gender-inclusive policies spark federal investigation of Washington schools agency

The Stranger
Wisconsin Judge’s Arrest Couldn’t Have Happened in Washington

West Seattle Blog
TRAFFIC, WEATHER, ROAD WORK, TRANSIT: May’s first Friday

Thursday, May 1

A big Pacific Northwest quake could cause land to sink in minutes
The Pacific Northwest is ripe for a major earthquake — and shaking and tsunamis wouldn’t be the only threats from such an event, according to new research. Coastal land would also sink nearly seven feet, meaning people who survive the initial catastrophe would face severe flooding. An earthquake in the Cascadia Subduction Zone with a magnitude greater than 8.0 could cause a sudden subsidence — the sinking of land — that, paired with rising sea levels, would enlarge floodplains expanding up to 115 square miles, found the study, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (USGS)

Behind the scenes, Ferguson backed bill to cap rent increases for months
State Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, one of the chief architects of legislation to cap rent hikes across Washington, says Gov. Bob Ferguson’s team has made clear to lawmakers since the second week of the legislative session, back in January, that he supports the measure. But even with the bill approved by the Legislature and awaiting his signature, Ferguson repeatedly declined to take a public stance on it. He finally did so Wednesday when pressed about Trudeau’s comments. The situation has stoked frustration for Trudeau, who would like to see the legislation swiftly enacted. It also underscores Ferguson’s reluctance to weigh in publicly on many of the biggest policy debates that unfolded over the past four months, ahead of the session wrapping up Sunday. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Legislative Support Services)

Federal investigation launched into Washington’s education office
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have launched a “first-of-its-kind” investigation into the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), officials announced Wednesday. The department said multiple Washington state school districts reported that OSPI is requiring school boards to adopt policies that allow males to participate in female sports and use female-only facilities, raising Title IX concerns. Continue reading at KIRO 7. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

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Axios
Seattle’s protest legacy: From strikes to CHOP

Bainbridge Island Review
KPHD hoping to secure funding for more vaccine clinics
KT looking into ferry routes between Kitsap communities

Capital Press
U.S., Mexico reach water deal, for now
Skagit Delta farmers suffer setback in court
Farmers on the front line of Trump’s trade war
Washington lawmakers raise taxes, pass budget, adjourn (Fitzgibbon)
9th Circuit: USDA predator control allowed in wilderness areas
Trump EPA releases final insecticide strategy; revises Biden plan

Everett Herald
Thousands of Washington state workers lose out on wage hikes
A big Pacific Northwest quake could cause land to sink in minutes
Edmonds school board approves potential staff cuts, eyes legislation
Snohomish County police scanners to go dark to the public on May 6

High Country News
The hidden costs of wolf conservation
How the feds abandoned reservations to burn

The Inlander
Spokane’s new police chief is reimagining ‘use of force’ review boards, with input from the Office of Police Ombuds

Kitsap Sun
St. Michael nurses union negotiates with VMFH over new contract

News Tribune
Tacoma City Council selects interim city manager. Here’s what we know
With Trump tariffs in the news, how’s container traffic at Port of Tacoma?
As federal dollars for Head Start slow, rural parents left without other options

Olympian
WA Democrats include ‘devastating’ $8.5M abortion-access cut in final budget (Dhingra)
Feds formally launch investigation into OSPI over gender-inclusive schools law

Peninsula Daily News
Libraries bracing for loss of funding
State funding helps pay for Peninsula projects
Funding for Hurricane Ridge lodge rebuild still in play

Puget Sound Business Journal
SBA rolls out new grant program focused on American manufacturing
Small-business owners navigate tricky borrowing climate

Seattle Times
WA becomes 12th state to restrict circus animal use (Liias)
WA Legislature passes several mental health-related bills
Gov. Ferguson shaped budget, but left some scratching their heads (Frame, Paul, Scott, Pedersen, Fitzgibbon)
Trump administration investigates WA education agency over trans youth protections
Opinion: WA legislators kill news bill and tax ads, teeing up big lawsuit
Opinion: Lawmakers, you did not make a ‘significant investment’ in WA schools

Skagit Valley Herald
State Department of Commerce awards solar grants to La Conner School District, Swinomish tribe

Spokesman Review
Trump administration opens federal probe into Washington’s transgender student policy
Despite proposed license fee increases, Washington wildlife officials are bracing for budget cuts
‘The people being punished are the people that need help the most’: Washington joins lawsuit against cuts to AmeriCorps

Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber
Legislature wraps up, with a plan for Vashon’s water taxi (Alvarado)
VashonBePrepared: A public health update on infectious disease prevention

Washington Post
Trump ran on boosting prosperity. Now economic uncertainty grows.
As Musk steps back, DOGE looks to Congress to finish what it started
House votes to block California from banning sales of gas cars by 2035
A small Montana town has thrived on federal jobs. Now come Trump’s cuts.

WA State Standard
Behind the scenes, Ferguson backed bill to cap rent increases for months (Trudeau)
Trump uses WA kidnapping case to justify Alien Enemies Act deportations

Yakima Herald-Republic
State study supports more city-to-city bus service in Yakima Valley

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Yelm superintendent disappointed by legislature’s education bills (Pedersen)
Protesters rally for release of two Filipino women at Tacoma detention center
Lawsuit against King County claims sexual abuse inside juvenile detention centers
Seattle city attorney raises concerns over Trump executive order targeting sanctuary jurisdictions

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Seattle introduces new drug prosecution alternative
Federal investigation launched into Washington’s education office
‘A heartbreaking loss’: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library loses funding in WA
Local Head Start providers join national lawsuit against Trump Administration
Electricity demand for WA, surrounding areas could double by 2046, experts say
New study warns part of WA coast could sink several feet during major offshore earthquake
36 former detainees sue King County, alleging decades of sexual abuse at juvenile detentions

KNKX Public Radio
State budget road map seems to close major deficit. Will it stick?

KUOW Public Radio
How a new option for fentanyl treatment is changing lives
Washingtonians may soon have the “right to repair” their technology (Gregerson)
Premier climate study frozen by Trump administration as researchers get the boot

KXLY (ABC)
Licensing offices handling influx as REAL ID deadline fast approaches
Trump administration investigating Washington schools over transgender athlete policies

Web

Cascadia Daily News
AmeriCorps cuts hit Northwest Washington nonprofits
WWU must reduce budget by additional $8M after state funding cuts
Harcourt could lose right to develop Bellingham waterfront as part of settlement agreement

MyNorthwest
REAL ID deadline looms: WA residents face long DOL wait times
Federal investigation launched into Washington’s education office

The Stranger
Lawsuit Alleges Decades of Sexual Abuse in King County Youth Detention

The Urbanist
West Seattle Link Gains Federal Approval to Fully Enter Design Phase

West Seattle Blog
TRAFFIC, WEATHER, ROAD WORK, TRANSIT: Thursday info

Wednesday, April 30

Progressive group’s study debunks myth that ‘wealth tax’ drives rich residents out of WA
A progressive think tank is dismissing the claim that if a wealth tax is established in budget plans aimed at closing a $16 billion shortfall, the wealthiest Washingtonians would leave the state in droves. They say that’s just not true. A study by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) found that the “millionaire class” grew by 38.6% in Massachusetts despite a wealth take and 46.9% in Washington despite a capital gains tax. Their wealth grew by more than $580 billion in current dollars in Massachusetts and $748 billion in Washington state between 2022 and 2024. Continue reading at MyNorthwest. (Anna Moneymaker)

Starter homes in Seattle suburbs hit $1M mark
First-time homebuyers in the Seattle area are facing staggering prices, even for so-called starter homes, which now top $1 million in eight local cities, per new Zillow data. Why it matters: Would-be buyers in some of the region’s most exclusive suburbs are confronting entry-level prices five to 10 times higher than the typical national starter home cost of about $193,000, a stark reminder of the region’s persistent affordability crisis. Continue reading at Axios. (Brendan Lynch)

The winners at the 2025 Legislature
We offer this selection of victors from this year’s session with the caveat that we know very little about Gov. Bob Ferguson’s enthusiasm for the veto pen, so some of this stuff might take a big hit at the goal line. Continue reading at Washington Observer. (Tim Gruver)

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Aberdeen Daily World
County Commissioners complete strategic planning Phase II

Axios
Starter homes in Seattle suburbs hit $1M mark
Seattle air pollution ranks among worst in U.S., report finds

Bellingham Herald
Controversial EV tax credits will be bad news for Tesla (Macri, Fitzgibbon)
WA Legislature passes bevy of housing bills: ‘A good step forward’ (Bateman)
Health benefits, wages remain front of mind for picketing PeaceHealth nurses

Columbian
Students, parents, teachers ask Camas schools to save music programs from cuts
Battle Ground schools: ‘No matter how much we don’t want this to happen, cuts are going to happen’

Everett Herald
Snohomish County salmon recovery projects receive $1.9M in state funding
Five tax bills lawmakers passed to underpin Washington’s next state budget

Kitsap Sun
Children’s care to expand in Kitsap after new hospital partnership

News Tribune
Calls for accountability, transparency as Pierce County amends homelessness plan

New York Times
Trump’s Cuts to Science Funding Could Hurt U.S. Economy, Study Shows
Live Updates: Supreme Court Appears Open to Approving Religious Charter Schools

Northwest Asian Weekly
Kim to serve as Tacoma’s interim city manager

Olympian
WA Legislature passes bevy of housing bills: ‘A good step forward’ (Bateman)
Washington becomes twelfth state to restrict circus animal use. Here’s why (Liias)
Opportunity, not tragedy: Stronger labor protections for WA youth now law (Fosse)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Police hiring surges in Seattle
Women’s pro hockey league expands to Seattle
Amazon denies it planned to display tariff costs

Seattle Times
Seattle proposing new alternative court path for drug offenses
5 takeaways from the final budget approved by the WA Legislature
With symbolic vote, WA Democrats say wealth-tax fight is not over
Deputies defy Franklin County sheriff’s order to take guns from jail
U.S. economy shrinks 0.3% in first quarter as Trump trade wars disrupt businesses

Spokesman Review
Spokane County Commission approves $31,000 sheriff salary raise
WSU does not join other universities in letter condemning funding threats
Opinion: Why expanding doula care is vital for healthier Washington communities
Opinion: Congress should protect public broadcasting – and the communities it serves

Tri-City Herald
Jail commander says Franklin sheriff blocked entry to jail, got physical with him

Washington Post
Supreme Court seems open to allowing religious public schools
U.S. economy shrank in first quarter of 2025, as tariffs sapped growth
How ‘Make America Healthy Again’ mission has upended public health in Trump’s first 100 days

WA State Standard
Thousands of Washington state workers lose out on wage hikes (Stanford)
State lawmakers launch group to spur ‘guaranteed income’ cash to residents (Jinkins, Nobles)
Thousands of Washington and Oregon children at risk if Head Start ends, lawsuit alleges

Yakima Herald-Republic
Rep. Dufault talks about ban from House floor over parental rights changes (Simmons)
Yakima-Tieton canal, Selah wastewater plant among projects in state’s capital budget

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Report: Gun violence decreasing in King County
Washington women’s prison closure won’t mean job losses, DOC says
REAL ID deadline is 1 week out. What Washington residents should know
Gov. Bob Ferguson has signed 10 bills into law so far this week. Here’s what they do
Financial aid will be reduced for some WA college students, funding will go down for state colleges (Robinson)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Coyote Ridge inmate dies following cell assault
KIRO 7 Investigates: Why your car insurance rates are rising
What’s behind King County’s significant drop in gun violence
After years of struggling, City of Seattle celebrates rise in police applications
Standoff between Franklin County sheriff, commissioners escalates over control of county jail

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
1,100 Seattle buildings in need of retrofit to withstand earthquake forces
AmericCorps cuts prompts two dozen states to sue Trump administration
Seattle’s police chief and mayor optimistic about rebuilding force by next year
Pierce County Council limits local resources for federal immigration surveillance programs

KUOW Public Radio
The plan to boost Black homeownership
WA2025 legislative session: New governor, new budget, new laws
Program to support Black homeowners offers hope, but is it enough to help them buy a house in Seattle? (Taylor)
Washington ACLU sues Trump administration over attempts to dismantle free Head Start preschool program

KREM (CBS)
Eastern Washington lawmakers secure state funding for community projects (Hill, Ormsby, Riccelli)

KXLY (ABC)
Washington childcare workers worried about losing crucial behavioral health support for kids
Central Valley School Board drafts letters requesting investigation into state and WIAA transgender athlete policy

Web

Cascadia Daily News
PeaceHealth nurses picket, set to negotiate with hospital again

Cascade PBS
New Washington energy chair’s industry ties raise ethics questions (Shewmake)
Spokane’s Spokesman-Review newspaper pivots to a nonprofit model

MyNorthwest
Trump Admin. compiling list of sanctuary states, cities
Washington AG fights Trump’s dismantling of AmeriCorps
Washington legislature passes EV credit tax targeting Tesla (Fitzgibbon)
Study debunks myth that wealth tax drives the rich out of WA
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library loses funding in Washington

The Urbanist
Final State Budget Puts Highway Expansion Ahead of Basic Maintenance (Liias)

Washington Observer
The winners at the 2025 Legislature (Fosse)

West Seattle Blog
TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Last day of April
WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: Feds issue ‘record of decision’ for project

Tuesday, April 29

Washington lawmakers close out session, sending budgets to governor
This year’s 105-day Washington state legislative session was in many ways a trudge. There was a multibillion-dollar budget deficit to solve. Sharp debate on parental rights and capping rent increases. Clashes over tax policy. Tensions between the new Democratic governor and legislators in his own party. And the unexpected deaths of a sitting senator and a former House speaker. “I’ll say certainly today, it feels like the toughest one that I’ve been through,” House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon, D-West Seattle, said at a post-session news conference. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero)

WA lawmakers honor late state senator: ‘Bill Ramos made Washington better’
Washington lawmakers on Sunday honored the late state Sen. Bill Ramos, an Issaquah Democrat who died suddenly April 19 while running on a trail near his home. Democrats and Republicans alike remembered Ramos for his professional contributions to the state — but also for who he was as a person. Senators adopted a resolution commemorating Ramos on Sine Die, the last day of the 2025 session. Continue reading at The Olympian. (Steve Bloom)

Rent Stabilization Makes It Across the Finish Line at Last Minute
Hours before the end of the state legislative session Sunday, both the Washington House and Senate finally signed off on a bill establishing a statewide annual cap on rent hikes for tenants. A longtime priority for many Democrats in the legislature, rent stabilization turned into one of the most hotly debated bills of the year, and faced a rollercoaster of obstacles over the course of the previous 105 days. Continue reading at The Urbanist. (Ryan Packer)

Print

Aberdeen Daily World
Hoquiam Community Forest awarded $2.5M grant
Tour set for contaminated former Weyerhaeuser sawmill

Auburn Reporter
WA Legislature approves hiking Discover Pass price to $45

Axios
Seattle police hiring surges sixfold in 2025
Early 2025 data shows crime dropping in Seattle
Washington Legislature adjourns after passing tax hikes, rent cap

Bellingham Herald
WA lawmakers vote to hit litterbugs in their wallets. What it will cost you
Proposed change could reshape Endangered Species Act. Here’s how it affects WA

Capital Press
Washington lawmakers raise taxes, pass budget, adjourn (Fitzgibbon)

Everett Herald
Brier police levy fails; officials warn current staffing is not sustainable
At a Lynnwood thrift store, rising shoplifting mirrors larger retail crime surge
Bloomberg comment: Stifling climate anxiety only ignores the problem

The Inlander
Offended by annexation comments and worried about immigration enforcement, Canadian tourists are staying away from Spokane

Kitsap Sun
Bremerton tech school secures state funding to complete renovation (Hansen, Nance, Krishnadasan, Richards)

News Tribune
WA lawmakers vote to hit litterbugs in their wallets. What it will cost you
Pierce County exec, sheriff at odds over working with immigration authorities
WA lawmakers honor late state senator: ‘Bill Ramos made Washington better’ (Ramos, Valdez, Saldana, Lovick, Liias)
WA’s 2025 legislative session has adjourned. Here are some defining moments (Fitzgibbon, Ramos)
WA Democrats reveal final operating budget deal, but the hard part is passing it (Robinson, Ormsby)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Amazon enters space race with 27-satellite launch
WA companies, execs poured millions into Trump’s inauguration fund
Microsoft ends contract with transit provider, triggering 287 layoffs

Seattle Times
Why two NW cities celebrate ‘Loyalty Day’ on May 1
Some lanes of I-5 in Tacoma blocked by fatal semitruck crash
Why some Seattle students can’t attend the school of their choice
5 takeaways from the final budget approved by the WA Legislature (Robinson)
Vehicle attack in Vancouver devastates a vibrant and growing Filipino community

Spokesman Review
Legislature completes work on time as focus turns to governor (Alvarado, Wellman, Riccelli, Heck)
WSU international student records reinstated after Trump reverses course on visas
Spokane City Council approves law mirroring state LGBT+ protections after heated meeting
Legislative leaders reflect on ‘challenging’ 2025 session in Washington as it comes to a close (Pedersen, Jinkins)
Central Valley School Board drafts Title IX complaint against the state over transgender sports
Head Start sues Trump administration over DEI confusion, grant freezes to child care program

Tri-City Herald
Washington becomes twelfth state to restrict circus animal use (Liias)
Innovative Pasco program for gifted kids on the fringes draws WA attention

Washington Post
Common chemicals in plastic linked to over 350,000 deaths from heart disease

WA State Standard
Rent increase cap proposal heads to Washington governor (Cleveland, Shewmake)
New taxes, no furloughs in WA Legislature’s $77.8B budget deal (Robinson, Ormsby)
Washington lawmakers close out session, sending budgets to governor (Fitzgibbon, Fey, Frame, Ramos)
WA lawmakers shift approach on closing center for people with disabilities (Farivar)
Five tax bills lawmakers passed to underpin Washington’s next state budget

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Washington State Ferries prepare for triple traffic surge
What we can VERIFY about Port of Seattle ‘ghost town’ rumors
15% of Snohomish County residents live in wildfire danger zones
Washington facility for drug-affected mothers, infants will remain open
Washington budget awaits approval as Ferguson vows thorough review
Amazon denies tariff pricing display plan after White House calls it ‘hostile’
Washington legislators just passed a new tax that only impacts Tesla, for now
A rent stabilization bill just passed the Washington Legislature. Here’s what it does (Alvarado)
Democrats say Washington’s $77 billion budget proposal aims to protect K-12 education, essential services (Ormsby, Robinson)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Washington lawmakers wrap up legislative session
What’s driving up gas prices in Washington and 4 ways you can save (Fey, Liias)
Two Black Seattle police officers sue SPD, allege racist practices, culture

KNKX Public Radio
New tax hikes, rent limits head to governor as WA lawmakers end session (Robinson, Ramos)

KUOW Public Radio
What is pension spiking, and how is it costing the state of WA millions?
Rent limits, tax hikes head to governor as Washington lawmakers end session (Robinson, Ramos)
Dozens of international students in Washington to have visas restored by Trump administration
Irish woman with green card held at Tacoma ICE center, questioned about decades-old drug conviction
Tacoma School Board president calls on community to ‘dig in’ on gun violence after three teens die in a week

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane City Council approves $1.25M for safety improvements in West Central
Spokane City Council declares emergency and adopts new alcohol-related ordinance
Spokane City Council votes to affirm right to gender-affirming care and maintain an LGBTQ+ liaison officer with SPD
Mead School Board delays vote on newly proposed transgender student policy due to feedback from State Superintendent

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Coffee roasters in Whatcom, Skagit feel impact of cost increases
High forecast of pink salmon could overwhelm local fishermen, stress processing capacity

Cascade PBS
A breakdown of Washington’s new $78B two-year state budget (Robinson)
WA Legislature approves yearly rent caps – just under the wire (Alvarado)
USDA set to cut $1B for food programs. WA food banks are worried
What you need to know after the 2025 Washington legislative session (Jinkins, Ramos)

MyNorthwest
Washington Democrats pass $77.1 billion budget (Ormsby, Robinson)
WA’s $77.8B budget saga: Ferguson to make final call (Pedersen)
Washington Democrats pass rent cap bill amid controversy (Bateman)
Washington lawmakers approve 6-cent gas tax hike with July start date
Bezos bolts, billions lost: Is Washington’s wealth walking out the door?
Washington lawmakers approve 6-cent gas tax hike with July start date (Liias)
After years of struggling, City of Seattle celebrates rise in police applications
Poll: Bob Ferguson grows on Republicans, sours on Democrats, amidst economic fear heightened

The Urbanist
Rent Stabilization Makes It Across the Finish Line at Last Minute (Alvarado)

Washington Observer
And they’re outta here
A weird last-day vote for the wealth tax (Lovelett, Hansen, Liias, Krishnadasan)
Softer rent restriction makes it to Ferguson’s desk (Alvarado, Cleveland)
Democrats cut more than half of abortion access project
Balancing (a tiny little bit of) the budget on your neighborhood bartender (Stanford)
A $100 fee on getting married to pay for domestic violence victim advocates (Davis)
Ferguson gets his $100M for cops, but local taxpayers get the bill in the long run (Entenman)

West Seattle Blog
TRAFFIC, WEATHER, TRANSIT, ROAD WORK: Tuesday info, with bridge crash

Friday, April 25

GOP lawmaker barred from House Chamber for rest of session after outburst
Tensions soared in the state House of Representatives Thursday after a Republican lawmaker disrupted proceedings and was barred from returning to the floor. Now state Rep. Jeremie Dufault, a Selah Republican, won’t be allowed back into the House chamber for the rest of session. But he can still participate virtually, Democratic leadership confirmed in an email, adding that this wasn’t Dufault’s first floor disturbance. Continue reading at The News Tribune. (Tony Overman)

Compromise reached on Washington bill to cap rent increases
Washington Democrats have landed on a new proposed limit on residential rent increases after negotiations in the Legislature. Under the version House and Senate Democrats announced late Thursday, annual rent hikes statewide would be capped at 7% plus inflation, or 10%, whichever is lower in a given year. The latest bill would also nix a proposed carveout for some single-family homes and shorten the time that new construction would be exempt from the cap. Continue reading at Washington State Standard. (Jason Finn)

Education Department cuts threaten to deepen local schools’ woes
The Trump administration wants to empower local schools by dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. The catch: Local school districts nationwide already are struggling with teacher shortages, falling test scores and rising turnover in leadership. Why it matters: Those measures of instability — along with ongoing debates over what should be taught, and how — are just a few of the problems local systems are facing as the White House signals that less help could be coming. Continue reading at Axios. (Axios Visuals)